Housings for certain electrical connector are molded from dielectric plastic material and are intended to be secured to mating connector housings when the connectors have been moved together in a mated condition, in which the respective arrays of electrical contacts are mated to complete electrical connections. In some of these connectors, hardware is fastened to the respective housings to secure them together in their mated condition, but it is desirable that the housings have an integral latching means. Integrally molded latch arms are disposed along opposed sides of the housing of one of the connectors and extend forwardly to latchingly engage corresponding latching surfaces of the housing of the other connector, when the connectors are moved together into a mated condition.
Latch arms used for securing connectors together are known in U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,700 and assigned to assignee hereof. The latch arms include rearward portions which are deflectable to unlatch the latch arms when it is desired to separate and unmate the connectors, in which case the latch arms can be said to be hingedly joined to the housing. Such latch arms are subjected to stress and torque during mating and unmating of the connectors, and the hinge joint must be rugged and durable to withstand many cycles of mating and unmating, especially taking into consideration that the hinge joint is molded of plastic material which can commonly lose strength over time when worked and subjected to temperature cycling as well.
It is desired to provide hinge joints for latch arms of connector housings which are designed to resist stress and torque and yet be flexible to allow many cycles of deflection of the latch arms.